Man to sue New York’s Transit Authority after arrested on false claims of cruising in toilet
William Campbell was using the bathroom when a man allegeldy leaned over and looked at his penis
By Steve Brown
A man is suing New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority after he was wrongly arrested on false claims of cruising in a public toilet.
William Campbell was allegedly using the toilet at the Grand Central Terminal back in April when, he claims, a man using the urinal next to him “leaned over and looked at [his] penis”, the New York Daily News reported.
When Campbell pushed the man away, the stranger allegedly shouted, ‘What are you doing, you fucking f****t?’ then called him a “dirty homo”.
An officer of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority arrived and arrested Campbell – who says the officer shouted to another one, ‘Another pee-pee case!’
He was taken to the Midtown South Precinct stationhouse and charged with endangering the welfare of a child, criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, exposure of a person and public lewdness.
Campbell’s court case says the complaint “falsely stated there were children in the restroom at the time petitioner was using the urinal, there were no children in the area; that petitioner unlawfully exposed his penis, he did not, he was using the urinal; and that petitioner was carrying in his backpack a knife with a 10-inch blade, he was not in possession of a knife.”
Campbell was held in custody for 72 hours after he was unable to make bail.
After appearing in court, he was cleared of all the charges and is now seeking unspecified damages.